Featured Stories

Circus Day in West Plains
by Dalton F.

In the year 1905, I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. There was a huge crowd walking down the street as we went to join them. When we got there, we saw a circus! We played a bunch of games. One of them was called the Magician’s Hat. It was very hard. We saw a sword swallower called the Amazing Stromboli. Then it was time for the big moment I had been waiting for, the circus. I saw clowns, bands, comedy, and all of the different kinds of animals. When I looked to the side, the people’s eyes were opened as wide as hot air balloons. They were so surprised at the circus. My family was so surprised that they almost cried. The circus had to have 5 trains with 77 cars. There were 500 horses, 30 elephants, and 12 camels with 10,000 people at the circus. A lot of people drove from 50 miles away, and it took them 3 days to get here. There was a lot of different kinds of colors, and the music sounded beautiful.

We parked in a wagon yard. Right when we got to the circus, a clown’s pants fell down. Instantly my dad said it was comedy and started laughing. So my mom and I joined in with him. When we got there, a barker started yelling for people to come and watch the circus. We bought a bunch of cotton candy and stood by the Courthouse to watch the circus parade. We saw a big elephant named Old Bet. After that there was a collie jumping through a ring of fire. There was a bunch of people’s heads sticking out of the windows on the side of the street. At the end of the day, I was invited to help in the circus the next day. I would be a juggler since one of the jugglers was sick.

The next day came, and I had to wear a silly costume which was very itchy. At least nobody would recognize me. My teacher, Mr. Woolsey, was in the circus too as the "Most Bearded Man in the World!" He didn’t have a fake beard either. He had a real one on, his own. I just laughed when he started to walk and tripped on his beard.

We heard a man talking that owned the circus! He said that whenever the wagons got stuck in Howell Creek, the elephants would push them out. Since it was hot weather, the elephants would take the water from Howell Creek and spray it all over themselves to cool down. Then they would be on their way to the circus again. I had a whole tray full of food and candy. There was cotton candy, peanuts, a chili dog for my dad, and a salad for my mom. There was Coke-a-Cola and Diet Coke. There was also something that I hate, but my mom and dad love, "wilted lettuce!"

I could see my friends, Cody, Logan, Trevor, Landon, and my cousins, Ryan and Brandon. One of my friends was catching a lot of candy when I threw it at him and his cousin, even though his cousin did not come with him. One instrument I liked best was the pipe organ because you could hear it all through West Plains. Its wagon was right behind me! There was one drum, three trumpets, four xylophones, and eight tubas in the circus band. I accidently dropped a juggling ball, and it! hit a horse’s foot. The horse lost control of itself, and I got fired from my job. But I got my job back when a sword swallower swallowed a sword and choked on it just like the first one did.

The circus started at 1:00 P.M. and ended at 5:00 P.M. Everyone would get to watch all their favorite shows that started at six and have a good time for the rest of the night. I could also see my classmates from school waving at me and shouting my name. I threw some plastic swords at them so they could keep them and remember that I was in the circus. They could tell their kids about it too. At the end of the day, I got $50.00 for helping at the circus. So, I got fifty dollars from the owner, and I also got a free ticket to go to the circus next year.

One year has already gone by quickly, and it is circus time again. So, I get to go with some friends of mine on a trolley tour of the different kinds of animals the circus uses. We saw what the Amazing Stromboli uses to swallow a sword and some of the plastic, toy swords. We also got to see the different people who work in the circus along with the circus owner. But I knew all that stuff already because I had the job before. We bought lollipops and got sodas to drink.

That night we camped out and made smores. When I got home my mom said that I could go to the last day of the circus to get my certificate for helping. The day came, and my mom got the certificate from the owner. Then we left after I thanked all the circus actors and especially the owner for letting me take part in the circus.

But, all of a sudden right when I got in the car, one of the horses lost control of itself. I jerked the door open and ran over to try and calm the horse down so the circus could go on. I heard everybody screaming because they thought I was going to get stepped on or worse, themselves! But the next thing that happened surprised everybody so much that they jumped out of their shorts! I calmed the horse down, and everybody started shouting my name! Then I walked back to the car and got in. We drove off, waiting till next year to calm more horses down as you are just leaving the circus. And....that is what I did and saw in the 1905, West Plains Circus!

Circus Day in West Plains
by Landon

In the year 1920 I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. My name is Junior Comer. I love circuses. I like to look at all the colors and the clowns. There were lots of people everywhere. My brothers, Hayward, Beach, and I liked to watch the sword swallower. There were bands on top of the circus wagons. My family and I came from Bly, Missouri. We camped out by a pond and let our horses drink. The circus wagons were getting stuck in Howell Creek, and the elephants had to push the wagons out of the creek with their heads. The elephants sprayed water from Howell Creek on their backs to cool down. At the circus I got cotton candy and a balloon from a man. There were knife throwers, horseback riders, cat tamers, clowns, fire eaters, tigers, elephants, and all kinds of other animals. Some of my favorites were the acrobats, high-wire walkers, snake charmers, and the Flying Apollos. All the wagon yards in town were full. In the circus, one of the clown’s pants fell off. I just loved sitting on the square and watching the circus animals walk by the West Plains Courthouse and the Catron Building. I liked buying peanuts because they were salty. There were people looking out of all the windows as the parade went by.

My Day at the Circus
by Rodney

In 1912 the circus came to West Plains, Missouri, and I got to go. The circus parade was exciting! It came down West Main Street. There were horses, camels, and elephants! The camels were big and hairy. The elephants were huge! I’ve never seen anything like it. They smelled kind of stinky. The clowns in the parade were funny. They did lots of tricks as they went down the street. Then we went to the Big Top. It was red and blue striped and so big it looked like a giant building. When we went inside, the tent was purple and green. There were all kinds of smells. We could smell the stinky smell of animals. There were good smells too. We smelled popcorn and cotton candy! We ate some! It was good! We saw lions and tigers. They were really pretty as they jumped through the rings of fire. The elephants stood on their hind feet with their front feet on each other’s backs and walked around the ring. There were people riding the elephants! There were bareback riders! They could ride standing up on top of the horse’s back! There were trapeze artists too. It was amazing! They looked like they were flying! When we left, they were giving elephant rides! I was the first one to do it! That was fun! When I got off, the elephant shook my hand with its trunk. This was the most fun I have ever had in all my life. I’ll never forget it!

Remaining Stories

Circus Day in West Plains
by Chelsey

In the year of 1905 I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. The clowns were jumping up and down. The crowd was loud as they laughed at the clowns. The elephants were gray. A lot of people bought popcorn. They came by horse and wagon to see the circus. There were 10,000 people at the circus. People even came from Birch Tree. There were 12 camels, and one mother had a baby. It was so cute. The clowns juggled. They would paint their own faces with makeup. The circus lasted 3 days. There were 30 elephants. There were acrobats. There was a parade. If one of the city boys or girls helped put up the Big Top, they would get a free ticket. Tigers love chicken, so the circus people would buy hay and animal food from the farmers close by. Some people rode elephants. There was a lion tamer. There was a sword swallower. The circus needed 5 trains with 77 cars to travel. There were 500 horses for stunt riding. The tents were red, blue, orange and purple. The people from! the other towns parked in all the wagon yards. The buttery popcorn was tasty. The cotton candy was sweet. There was a lot of music from the big pipe organ. I walked around the court square and saw people looking out their windows. Mr. Woolsey was the ringmaster. There was an African elephant named Old Bet. A person named Chelsey rode the horses. I really liked listening to the circus band. I played a game and won a circus badge.

Circus Day in West Plains
by Talynn

In the year 1905 I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. They had 10,000 people from different towns that parked in all of West Plains’ wagon yards. There were so many people that some had to go into the stores and look out the windows. Some people traveled 50 miles to see the circus. It would take them 3 days to get to West Plains. The circus came on 5 trains with 77 cars. There were 500 horses, 30 elephants, and 12 camels. There were clowns too. They did gymnastics and rode standing up on the horses. The city kids that helped put up the big tent got free tickets to go to the circus. The circus had a fire eater and a sword swallower. The circus had tigers that were fed meat. The clowns would hand out balloons. There was a circus band that sounded great. They had horse rides, and I got to ride one. It was so cool! Everyone wore bright colors like red, yellow, and blue. We ate popcorn and cotton candy. It was so delicious! The circus had games where you could win prizes. There was a tightrope. We saw somebody walk on it. It was really exciting. The circus was finally ending. Everyone left to go home. It was a great circus.

Circus Day in West Plains
by Kayla B.

In the year 1905 I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. I had to travel for three days. Back in those days that was about 50 miles. When we got to the circus, we saw over 10,000 people. I also saw tigers, lions, elephants, and monkeys. There were five trains with 77 cars in all that brought the circus to West Plains. We heard barkers yelling, "Peanuts and popcorn! Get your peanuts and popcorn!" We bought a lot of stuff. The lion tamer was the best part. I liked the trapeze performers too. I also liked the people who swallowed the swords and fire. The clowns were full of comedy and jokes. The clowns juggled as many as 10 pins at one time. Some people walked on the high wire. There were also knife throwers. There were 500 horses, 30 elephants, and 12 camels. The music was the best music I’ve ever heard in my life! You could hear the pipe organ and the band all over West Plains. There were also bareback riders that rode on horses. There were tigers, lions, elephants, and camels. At the beginning of the circus the elephants had to help put up the Big Top, which is the big tent. The colors were bright yellow, blue, orange and red. They had streamers all over the place. They also had flags. At the end of the circus everybody wished there was more, but soon they all had to go home. After the circus, I got to help put the elephants back on the train and take the Big Top down.

Circus Day in West Plains
by Caleb Y.

In the year 1912 I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. In the circus I liked the 30 elephants and the 12 camels. The elephants could push the wagons if they got stuck in the ditch. I think the camels and the elephants were amazing. In the circus they sell balloons, drinks, and snacks. There were 10,000 people that came to see the circus. There were 500 horses and lots of other animals. I saw the circus parade pass the Catron Building. The colors of the circus tents were bright red and yellow.

Circus Day in West Plains
by Alyssa

In the year 1921 I got to go to the circus in West Plains, Missouri. I camped out with Junior Comer and his brother. When we got there I saw knife throwers. I saw a man who was saying, "Step right up and get your popcorn! Buy stuff and get tickets to see the show!" I saw trapeze performers, lion tamers, and horseback riders. They played a pipe organ for the circus music. It was loud! The colors of the tents were bright red, yellow, blue, green, and purple. The popcorn was so buttery. The salty peanuts and the sugary cotton candy were delicious. I saw the high-wire woman at the top of the tent. The clowns were so funny. The tiger was cool! Then the elephants came out. They were exciting too! The monkeys did tricks. I saw a fire eater. There was a clown whose pants fell down. It was funny! I had a lot of fun at the circus that came to West Plains.

Circus Day in West Plains
by Cole

In the year 1905 I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. The circus was so big it had 5 trains with 77 cars full of animals. There were 500 horses, 30 elephants, and 12 camels. There were 10,000 people who came to the circus. Some drove at least 50 miles on a three day trip. We saw a clown, and its pants fell down. After that we went to play games. We saw Stromboli, the sword swallower. There also was a knife thrower. The knife thrower let me throw a knife at the target. I hit the target in the bull’s eye. Next we went to the music stand, and the conductor showed us around. We saw the big pipe organ. After that we went to the concession stand to get peanuts and popcorn. The peanuts were salty and the popcorn was warm and buttery. Then we went to sit down. In about 10 hours the circus was done.

Circus Day in West Plains
by Alec

In the year 1905 I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. When the circus came, there were a lot of people and a lot of animals too. All my friends were there. My favorite people were the sword swallower and the fire eater. I saw some horses, elephants and camels. Some of my friends live in Hartville. They said they left three days ago to get here. I didn’t know it took that long to get to West Plains with a horse and wagon. At the circus I got some cotton candy and popcorn. We also saw some clowns, and we enjoyed it. The next day before I ate breakfast, I read the newspaper. It said that in this circus there were 5 trains, 77 cars, 500 horses, 30 elephants, and 12 camels. The newspaper also said 10,000 people came to see the circus. There was a band with a big pipe organ that played fun music. I could hear the circus music playing all over West Plains.

Circus Day in West Plains
by Donovan

In the year 1905 I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. My name is Tony. I live in Gainesville, Missouri. On the way to the circus, I spotted the circus train. When the circus unloaded we got first seats. We saw that the circus had come to town on 5 trains with 77 cars! Well, altogether the circus was good. There were 500 horses, 12 camels, and 30 elephants. We heard that 10,000 people had come to see the circus too. I listened to happy music and saw bright colored tents and costumes. We saw all sorts of sideshows. We laughed at funny, baggy clowns. The Big Top was the main circus tent, and it was as big as a football field. The knife thrower let a teenager throw a knife, but he missed. The knife went flying and almost hit someone. The knife thrower said, "You’re kicked out of the circus!" The circus parade was long and exciting. It went around the square.

Circus Day in West Plains
by Dalton N.

In the year 1905 I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. I got to see 5 clowns that were really funny. Some people were riding the 12 camels around the ring. The snake charmer had two snakes around her neck. The five trains with 77 cars had horses, elephants, and camels. The wagon yards were full. Almost 10,000 people were cheering and clapping. The bareback riders were riding 500 horses. The 30 elephants had water in their trunks. Five elephants sprayed some people. I bought the buttery popcorn and the salty peanuts. They were very good. I got some candy too. The Big Top was the main tent. The trapeze performers were crossing a tight rope. The knife thrower picked someone out of the audience to throw the knife in the circus ring. My favorites were the knife thrower and the fire eater. The music was very exciting. The clown threw a bucket of water at the audience, but it was just torn up paper. My family and I liked the West Plains Circus.

Circus Day in West Plains
by Trinity B.

In the year 1905 I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. Our family had to camp out the night before we finally got to town. I came from Cabool, which is 50 miles from West Plains. At last we got to the Big Circus! First, if the kids helped put up the Big Top, we would get a free ticket. The people that worked in the circus bought hay and animal food from the farmers around West Plains for the circus animals. When all the people sat down we sold peanuts and popcorn. We watched the animals in the three rings. They had all kinds of stuff to watch like fire eaters, snake charmers, people doing head-to-head stands, pony riders, balloons, and sugary, cotton candy. There were people walking the high wire. A dog jumped through a ring of fire. One of the horse riders got sick so I got to take her place. We watched a knife thrower and the parade with all the animals. The band was so good it lasted a long time. The clowns were very funny. They had a bucket that we thought was filled with water, but it was paper instead. Then the circus ended.

Circus Day in West Plains
by Cierra

In the year 1905 I got to go to the circus in West Plains, Missouri. Five trains had to pull 77 circus cars. I saw 500 horses. The newspaper estimated about 10,000 people had come to see the circus at West Plains. Some of the people were in my family. The circus had great popcorn and cotton candy. Also there were 30 elephants and 12 camels. We came from 50 miles away. We had to travel for three days. I got to help the circus workers. They gave me five tickets because five people lived in my house. My brothers and I got to feed chickens to the tigers and lions. When the circus was ready everyone came. I also got to sell peanuts and popcorn. There were pony and elephant rides. There were three rings in the circus. We watched the cat tamer. I got to be in the circus. My brothers sold the cotton candy, and I sold the drinks. We were the circus "barkers." Oh no! One of the horse riders got sick! Who will fill in for her? The ringmaster asked me if I would fill in for her. Her name was Lacy. He asked me if I knew about horses, and I said, "Yes!" There was a band and a pipe organ. I messed up on the horse riding, but nobody noticed. I liked riding my horse under the Big Top. There were bright colors everywhere.

Circus Day in West Plains
by Annessa

In the year 1905 I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. Did you know it took 5 trains with 77 cars to haul the 500 horses, 30 elephants, and 12 camels? There were 10,000 people who came to see the circus. Some lived as far as 50 miles away, but they still came. My favorite animals were the tigers and monkeys. The circus even had kettle corn and rainbow cotton candy. I met some people that wanted to be my friends. One of them traveled for 3 days to get to the circus. They were from Mountain Home, Arkansas. They were really cool! There was a game where you had to shoot a basketball. Every goal you made you got a piece of candy. One afternoon I got to help put up the circus tents and sell peanuts or popcorn. Since I was a really good helper, the ringmaster said I could have a free ticket to the circus show. I was really happy! The ringmaster let me feed the tigers and elephants. They ate peanuts and meat. The music sounded great! There was a pipe organ, a tuba, and a trombone. There were bright red, blue, yellow, and orange tents, flags, and costumes. One of the clowns was my best friend, and he was really funny. He wore these really big glasses. He is going to wear them in the ring at the circus tonight. It is going to be a great circus.

Circus Day in West Plains
by Kalee

In the year 1905 I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. I got to see monkeys, tigers, and 500 horses! That’s a lot! There were 30 elephants and 12 camels. The circus came to town on 5 trains with 77 cars. There were 10,000 people who came to watch! Also there were all kinds of animals. I have to tell you about all the performers. There were short clowns. The "barkers" really got on my nerves. There were fire eaters, snake charmers, and bareback riders. Best of all there were acrobats and trapeze performers! I helped put up the Big Top so I got a free ticket. When the show started the clowns came out, and one clown’s pants fell down! Ha! I volunteered to go in the ring. I got to ride horses bareback. When they told me to go back, they gave me a horn to squeeze. The music was great! They had a big pipe organ. It was beautiful! The peanuts were salty and delicious. The cotton candy was sweet. Best of all, there was buttery, yummy POPCORN! Yummmmmm! I won a big, stuffed horse for playing a game. I won a stuffed tiger and a stuffed elephant for my mom and dad. I won stuffed animals for everyone! They all liked them. I love the circus. It had lots of fun things to do! I love the games, the performers, and everything! I hope I can go back sometime because I really enjoyed it. My family enjoyed it too. The horses were awesome! They did jumps and all kinds of tricks, but I can’t talk anymore because my mom says it’s bedtime. I’ll talk more about the West Plains Circus later! Good Night!

Circus Day in West Plains
by Trevor

In the year 1905 I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. When we were on our way to the circus we had to camp out by the side of the road. I always took the horses to the pond or creek for a drink. We did that for three days before we got to the circus. I saw 5 circus trains come in. They had 77 cars in all. There were 500 horses, 30 elephants, and 12 camels. The animals and their trainers had a parade. I went to the parade. I heard the band play a song. After the parade, I saw a newspaper article saying, "10,000 people came!" Then I saw a candy stand. I got some blue cotton candy and a Coke. I was amazed that the circus was so bright and colorful! After the circus, I went home.

Circus Day in West Plains
by Curtis

In the year 1905 I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. When the circus arrived it took 5 trains with 77 cars to carry the 500 horses, 30 elephants, and 12 camels. The newspapers estimated that 10,000 people came to see the circus. If the people lived 50 miles away, it would take them 3 days to get to West Plains. The circus had a big pipe organ. The elephants helped put up the big tent. I came all the way from Koshkonong, Missouri. The city kids helped put up the circus tent and got free tickets. The people at the circus bought meat and hay from the farmers for the circus animals. I saw a man that could eat fire. The clowns did comedy and juggled. One clown’s pants fell down. The clowns have their own tent. I saw the sword swallower. I saw the lions when they went around the court house square. The clowns wore bright colored clothes. The cotton candy was great, and I also had popcorn. When I saw the jugglers juggling baseballs, one went so high that I caught it in the stands.

Circus Day in West Plains
by Kayla B.

In the year 1897 I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. The circus was called "LaPearl’s Big Railroad Show." Since I live in West Plains, I don’t have to travel. LaPearl’s Big Railroad Show had really good cotton candy. I think there were about 900 people there. Okay, down to the good part! There were bareback riders, gymnasts, acrobats, and trapeze performers. My favorite thing was the funny clowns. There were also elephants and a sword swallower. The bands were really loud! When I was at the circus, I saw a collie jump through a ring of fire. A clown was wanting a child to come up so I got picked. I got to wear a goofy outfit. I thought it was pretty funny, myself! At the beginning, they showed me a couple tricks. They were pretty cool! It was funny when a clown’s pants fell down. The clowns’ outfits had bright colors like red, yellow, orange, blue, and green. The Big Top was HUGE! The circus had elephants putting up the Big Top. I helped them put up the tent and got a free ticket to the circus for my family. Well, at the end of the circus they had a wild cat tamer and a knife thrower. I played games and won jewelry for my mom. I got a circus badge for myself. I also got a big, huge stuffed tiger that I will never let go of. If you went to this circus, you would laugh your pants off! Well, that’s all the time I have.

Circus Day in West Plains
by Caitlin

In the year 1912 I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. All the camels were coming down West Main Street, two blocks from the square. One of the exciting things in the circus was the collie dog jumping through a ring of fire. There was a sword swallower too. The barkers were shouting, "Come see a human being eat fire! Come see the littlest woman in the world!" All kinds of people were selling things like cotton candy and balloons. There were also pony rides. If the children helped put up the tents, they would get a free pass. I helped put up four tents and got four free tickets for my family. On my way to the circus I saw the clown tent. They let me come in and be a clown in the show. I got to see the elephants. I wore baggy pants and floppy shows. I had on a huge wig and funny makeup. I also wore funny glasses. I got to pet the animals. Soon I was up next. I got to watch the trapeze artists. There was also horseback riders. The horses were beautiful. I went up. I was kind of nervous at first, but felt at home later when one of the clowns accidentally pulled down his pants. I was driving the clown car. In the second ring there was a cool snake charmer. I was so busy watching the second ring that I didn’t see the five pies coming toward me! I turned around and "SPLAT!" the pies landed all over me. After the act was over with the clowns, I went back to my family. Next was the knife thrower. He picked my little sister to be the target with an apple on her head. He aimed and threw the knife. He hit the apple in the middle. When my sister came back up, she told me she was a little scared! At the "grand finale," the elephants and the camels came and did tricks for the rest of the circus. My family and I clapped the loudest! When the circus was completely over, my family went to meet the conductor of the band. While they were doing that I went to see the horses. After my family came back it was time to leave, but when I got up the next morning I got to watch the camels and elephants get back on the train. That’s all about the circus coming to West Plains.

Circus Day in West Plains
by Douglas

In the year 1905 I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. When we were waking up, the newspaper estimated that 10,000 people had come to see the circus in October. People began arriving the day before and filled every wagon yard in town. Some people came over 50 miles. The circus was carried on 77 cars in 5 trains. There were over 500 horses, 30 elephants, 12 camels, and a big pipe organ. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw all the horses, camels, elephants, knife throwers, sword swallowers, bareback riders, and acrobats. The snack that I had was Cracker Jacks. The Big Top was as big as a football field. The pipe organ music was very good. I was about to cry because it was so beautiful! We saw jugglers. We ate smores. It was funny when the clown lost his voice! It was so hilarious that I fell back. It was beautiful with all the colors of red and blue. It was so pretty that I wish I could go there again! I got to help out in the circus. The circus parade w! as so big that it went all the way around the court house square. It was amazing at the end.

Circus Day in West Plains
by Brandi

In the year 1905 I got to go to the big circus day in West Plains. I was at the railroad on November 13, waiting for my friends in the circus. They take care of all different kinds of cats. One week before I went to see them, they told me to let everyone know the circus was coming on November 16, to celebrate my birthday by putting on a show. I helped unload and put everything up. There were 5 trains and 77 cars carrying 500 horses, 30 elephants, and 12 camels. Almost 10,000 people came to see the circus. People came from 50 miles away, and it took 3 days to get to West Plains. I got a free pass even though I didn’t need it. On the day of the circus, one horseback rider got sick. I took his place because I am an expert at horseback riding. On my break I ate cotton candy and had a soda with my friend. My brother was the ringmaster. When it was my friend’s time, I watched as he got the cats to do tricks. A person was picked to watch all the animals and to play an instrument! for fun. After the band got down, the other people and I road horses, camels, and elephants. My brother, the ringmaster, let my friends, all the clowns, and me close the show. We made a lot of people laugh so they would give us more money. On November 20, the circus decided to stay for 20 more days. I got to have lots of popcorn, cotton candy, and water. One day they hired a fire eater, a sword swallower, and a knife thrower. On the 25th the ringmaster said, "Buy a lot of food and watch the sword swallower, the fire eater, and the knife thrower all at once!" After that the clowns did funny tricks and the people rode the animals again. Then the people got tickets for the last 5 days of the circus. The next day the animals got to do tricks. On the 30th day we did our best. People paid for us to perform 5 more times. We did our very, very best and had a lot of food. The people paid us $15.75 for 15 more times. We never, ever got tired because the people ate energy bars. The animals got half of it with their food. After we took the Big Top down we counted the money. We ended up with $1,259.85. I helped them load up. I got $500.12 from all of this. I said "Good bye!" to my friends. They said "Good bye!" to me. After that they loaded everything on the train and went to the next town.

Circus Day in West Plains
by Caleb H.

In the year 1897 I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. We camped first in Cabool, then later we saw the big circus. There were the sword swallowers, the lion tamers, the trapeze performers, the jugglers, and the clowns. The hot, salty peanuts and the sweet, cotton candy were good. La Pearl’s Big Railroad Show had bareback riders, acrobats, and gymnasts. The big Top was red and white. The barkers would yell, "Get your hot, salty peanuts and cotton candy!" There was also a knife thrower. A kid threw a knife and hit right on the target. He got the job. Then there was a clown that was going to throw water on the crowd, but it ended up to be ripped pieces of paper. There was a band and the elephants. I really had a great time at the West Plains Circus.

Circus Day in West Plains
by Andrew

In the year 1905 I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. What I saw at the circus was five hundred horses. The riders would stand on the horses bareback. They would also jump through a ring of fire. We also saw thirty elephants. They would stand on one foot. I saw twelve camels that we could ride for seventy-five cents. I saw ten thousand people at the circus. To haul the circus to West Plains, it took seventy-seven cars on five different trains.

Circus Day in West Plains
by Logan

In the year 1920, I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. I came from Willow Springs. It’s hot there in the summer. When the circus came to West Plains, I camped out on the way. I would make smores. The next day we traveled, and that night I camped out again. When I woke up, I saw wagons stuck in Howell Creek. I saw elephants pushing the wagons out of the water with their heads. When they were finished, they put their trunks in the river and sprayed themselves with cool water. While they were spraying themselves, they got me wet too. I was soaked. I dried my clothes, and was on my way to the circus again. This time I didn’t have to camp out. Since I was not stopping, I got to West Plains early. I found a place to sleep in town. In the morning I got up and went to the circus. The clowns were the first act. It was funny, especially when the clowns threw pies at each other. One clown had a bucket. Everyone thought the bucket was full of water, but when he threw it at the audience, it was only full of little pieces of paper. So everyone laughed again. The acrobats were next. It was so exciting that no one wanted to watch, but I did. It was funny! They flipped in the air. The tiger tamer was after that. He was good. He made the tiger sit on a chair and meow. That was funny too! The barkers were selling hot, salty peanuts, "Come and get some hot peanuts!" But I didn’t like the peanuts. Then the cotton candy man came. I ran after him before I stopped in my tracks. I love the yellow cotton candy. It tastes like bananas. It’s sweet and delicious. I saw the Amazing Stomboli, a sword swallower and a fire eater. The circus was so much fun that I didn’t want to go home.

Circus Day in West Plains
by Dusty

In the year 1920, I got to go to the big circus in West Plains, Missouri. There were elephants. There were lions, tigers, and bears. I got to ride one of the elephants. The elephants helped put up the Big Top. I got to help put up the big tent too. When I was done I got a ticket to get in free. I saw the fire eater. I saw a funny clown with big glasses. There were pony rides for kids. There was a cotton candy man, a balloon man, and a ringmaster. The band was an important part of the circus. There was a cat tamer, a high trapeze, and a high wire. A dog jumped through a ring of fire. The circus kept their money in a money wagon. There was also a knife thrower. We bought hay and animal food from local farmers. There was a snake charmer. The people standing head-to-head were cool. The people gave the tigers milk to calm them down so the kids could pet them. In the clown tent there were funny clowns. The popcorn was buttery. The peanuts were salty. The drinks had crushed ice, and I got to use a spoon. The Flying Apollos were there. The three rings had elephants in the middle. Some of the show people had a bucket that they said was full of water. But when they threw it on us it was tickets to get two bags of free popcorn. I got a prize at the strength tester. When I hit it, I made the bell ring. I got a big prize because I was the first kid to make the bell ring. I could hear the pipe organ playing five miles away. The band sounded good and loud. I played a game called balloon pop. I played ten more games. In one of the games I won a cork gun. I got to play "guess what cup it’s in." I got to play "whack the clown." I dressed up as a clown in the fun house. The fun house had four different games. One of the games was a clown race. Another one of the games was "how to act like a clown." Those two games were the only games that I played. My family and I heard that there was a show going on in the big circus tent. We went to see it. Three silly clowns were hitting each other on the head. There were dogs balancing balls on their noses. The show was over, and we started to leave. We packed to go. I’ll see you next time on another circus day in West Plains.